History

Taken from the files of the City of Buckley and Buckley Library

1856 – Decisive battle of Indian War fought at Connell’s Prairie, 6 miles west of Buckley.

1875 - Coal discovered at Wilkeson

1875 – Jerry Stilley, first permanent non-Indian resident, settled West of town.

1877 – Railroad built from Tacoma to Wilkeson to transport coal.

1882 – Town named “Perkin’s Prairie

1884 – Northern Pacific built railroad spur track from Cascade Junction (between South Prairie
and Buckley) to Perkin’s Prairie. Town given name “White River Siding” by railroad men.

1885 – Town’s first store erected by “Dad” Chamberlain.

1887 – Town renamed “Buckley” for J.M. Buckley, Northern Pacific Railway district superintendent.

1887 – First school established.

1888 – Town site platted by Alexander and Mary Wickersham. Town booming with lumber and
shingle mills springing up overnight.

1889 – First post office established.

1889 – District Court appointed five men as trustees of the Town of Buckley.

1889 – First newspaper printed and published in Buckley. -The Buckley Banner.

1890 – Town incorporated by electorate.

1890 – Buckley Lodge 75, IOOF, chartered.

1890 – Western Star Lodge, F&AM, chartered.

1891 – Land donated for Buckley cemetery.

1892 – First church built.

June 17 1892 – New school built at present site of White River Middle School on A Street.

1892- World’s Fair- Buckley Mills sell wood, shingles, and supplies to be used at the World’s Fair
Exhibit Buildings

May 5 1892- Business District almost wiped out fire. Started on second story of the Buckley Lumber
Store.

1892 – First organized water system established.

1893-Fire Department in Buckley was established on Feb. 24^th. Dr. JH Sheets was selected as a
honorary member to act as a surgeon

October 17 1894-First fire dept. dance. Ladies-free Men-$0.25 Children as spectators for $0.10

1894 – Eola Rebekah Lodge chartered.

July 6 1895-discussion of entering first 4^th of July parade, uniforms and plans to build station were
finalized

1897 –Women’s Musical & Literary Club founded.

1898 – Business district razed by fire.

1900 – Mt. Rainier Chapter, OES, chartered.

1902 – Addition built on schoolhouse.

1902 – Degree of Honor chartered.

1902 – First library established.

1905 – First high school graduation held.

1906 – Buckley Aerie 1387, FOE, chartered.

1907 – Gravity water system built; water stored in reservoir still in use by town.

1907 – First general use of electricity.

1909 – Marion Grange chartered.

1909 – School burned to ground.

1909 – Town established fire department to replace Columbia Hose Company, a private fire-fighting
group.

1910 – New brick school built on A Street.

1911 – White River Power Plant completed. (Headwork, flume, powerhouse.)

1911 – Present town hall built.

1912 – Plank streets replaced by paving.

1914 – Wickersham elementary school built.

1920 – Large section of business district leveled by fire.

1923 – Vocational unit added to high school building.

1927 – FOE Auxiliary 1387 chartered.

1928 – Buckley Kiwanis Club chartered.

1929 – Town purchased pumper fire truck to replace hand-drawn equipment.

1931 – Carbon Glacier Post 1414, VFW, chartered.

1937 – Buckley Garden Club organized.

1939 – Rainier School officially opened.

1939 – Work commenced on Mud Mountain Dam on White River.

1942 – Mud Mountain Dam completed.

1944 – Buckley railroad logging ended with closure of Buckley Logging Company mill.

1946 – City limits extended to include Rainier School and farms south of town.

1947 – Last company-operated coal mining discontinued.

1947 – Additional construction at Rainier School.

1948 – Kindergarten class instituted.

1949 – Additional construction at Rainier School.

1949 – Buckley and Enumclaw school districts consolidated.

1950 – Buckley Business & Professional Women’s Club chartered.

1951 – Rural Fire District No. 12 organized.

1952 – New fire station built.

1952 – Additional construction at Rainier School.

1952 – Sewage disposal plant built.

1953 - Purchase of a 1941 Packard as first aid car by fire dept. for $945

1953 – Wickersham school annex built.

1953 – White River School District (Buckley-Enumclaw) de-consolidated.

1955 – Buckley Planning Commission created.

1956 – New gymnasium built at high school.

1956 – Ida Marge Orthopedic Guild chartered.

1957 – Town established natural gas utility.

1957 – Buckley Junior Chamber of Commerce chartered.

1958 – New street signs erected.

1959 – Northern Pacific railroad depot torn down.